Miss Night and Day finale breaks record, but K-drama fans aren’t happy

Netflix and JTBC’s time-bending series Miss Night and Day has reached its record-breaking finale, although one detail hasn’t gone down too well with the fans. 

The 2024 K-drama centers on a Freaky Friday-esque plot in which the lead character jumps between her 20s and 50s.

After its premiere in June, the 16-episode show aired its final two episodes on Saturday and Sunday (August 3-4), breaking records across South Korea. 

According to Nielsen Korea, the penultimate episode achieved a national average rating of 8.7%, the highest Saturday ratings to date. Following this, the finale bagged an 11.7% rating, the highest in the show’s entire run. 

While the viewership figures were positive, Miss Night and Day fans have shared their upset over Lee Mi-Jin’s (Jung Eun-Ji) treatment of Gye Ji-Ung (Choi Jin-Hyuk). Before we go any further, let it be known that there will be spoilers ahead…

In Miss Night and Day Episode 15, Mi-Jin breaks things off with Ji-Ung, knowing she’s unable to stop turning into her 50-year-old self, Im Sun (Lee Jung-Eun). 

But in Episode 16, she is finally able to turn back to her original self by working towards her dreams and getting her self-confidence back. Right at the end, we flash forward to six months later, where Mi-Jin and Ji-Ung get together. 

Despite its heartwarming conclusion, a number of fans have taken to Reddit to reveal they’re not too happy with the events leading up to this moment, especially when Ji-Ung had already been put through the wringer.

“Why in the world was Mi-Jin still avoiding Ji-Ung and not telling him the truth?” asked one. 

“She knew he was also grieving his mom’s death but she was selfish as usual, down to the break up. He knows everything now but you ran away again while he was trying to be honest and caring towards her situation. Just so annoyed with it all.”

Another agreed, “I was so heartbroken. He was always so alone and then she broke his heart while he was grieving.”

“After watching the greenest flag FL in My Sweet Mobster, this FL made me so angry with her moping and selfishness,” added a third. “In the end she really did not deserve the ML, and didn’t earn the right to get back with him.”

And a fourth more bluntly wrote, “BOO BREAKUP TROPE!! Especially on the penultimate episode?”

To which another agreed, “It’s basic human courtesy not to break up with someone going through a bereavement especially when they have no other family. Sheesh.”

A sixth said, “I just finished Episode 15 and I’m P*****. She didn’t offer him an ounce of comfort about his mother. Once again, it was all about her.”

However, not everyone disliked how the show ended, especially after Episode 16. “Okay I think I am satisfied with the way they wrapped things up,” said one. 

“I think the curse lifted itself when Mi-Jin realized her calling. Until then she needed the help of the curse. The conversation between the older and the younger self was done so well.

“What I liked the most was the awareness regarding aging. It is a scary thing to age and I liked how they portrayed it in the drama.”

They finished by writing, “I don’t think I’ll miss the drama but I’ll miss Lim Sun for sure!”

For more K-drama, here are five shows to watch after Hierarchy, the Lovely Runner ending explained, and everything we know about Squid Game Season 2.